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. 2020 Oct;92(4):925-935.
doi: 10.1016/j.gie.2020.06.010. Epub 2020 Jun 11.

Impact of COVID-19 on endoscopy trainees: an international survey

Katarzyna M Pawlak  1 , Jan Kral  2 , Rishad Khan  3 , Sunil Amin  4 , Mohammad Bilal  5 , Rashid N Lui  6 , Dalbir S Sandhu  7 , Almoutaz Hashim  8 , Steven Bollipo  9 , Aline Charabaty  10 , Enrique de-Madaria  11 , Andrés F Rodríguez-Parra  12 , Sergio A Sánchez-Luna  13 , Michał Żorniak  14 , Catharine M Walsh  15 , Samir C Grover  16 , Keith Siau  17
Affiliations

Impact of COVID-19 on endoscopy trainees: an international survey

Katarzyna M Pawlak et al. Gastrointest Endosc. 2020 Oct.

Abstract

Background and aims: Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected endoscopy services globally, the impact on trainees has not been evaluated. We aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on procedural volumes and on the emotional well-being of endoscopy trainees worldwide.

Methods: An international survey was disseminated over a 3-week period in April 2020. The primary outcome was the percentage reduction in monthly procedure volume before and during COVID-19. Secondary outcomes included potential variation of COVID-19 impact between different continents and rates and predictors of anxiety and burnout among trainees.

Results: Across 770 trainees from 63 countries, 93.8% reported a reduction in endoscopy case volume. The median percentage reduction in total procedures was 99% (interquartile range, 85%-100%), which varied internationally (P < .001) and was greatest for colonoscopy procedures. Restrictions in case volume and trainee activity were common barriers. A total of 71.9% were concerned that the COVID-19 pandemic could prolonged training. Anxiety was reported in 52.4% of respondents and burnout in 18.8%. Anxiety was independently associated with female gender (odds ratio [OR], 2.15; P < .001), adequacy of personal protective equipment (OR, 1.75; P = .005), lack of institutional support for emotional health (OR, 1.67; P = .008), and concerns regarding prolongation of training (OR, 1.60; P = .013). Modifying existing national guidelines to support adequate endoscopy training during the pandemic was supported by 68.9%.

Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to restrictions in endoscopic volumes and endoscopy training, with high rates of anxiety and burnout among endoscopy trainees worldwide. Targeted measures by training programs to address these key issues are warranted to improve trainee well-being and support trainee education.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of trainee-reported number of supervised procedures (A), independent procedures (B), and total procedures (C) in the 30-day period before (PRE) and during COVID-19 (COVID). Symbols and error bars represent the median and interquartile ranges. ∗.0001 < P < .05, ∗∗P < .0001. Colon, Colonoscopy; UGIB, upper GI bleeding hemostasis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Box-and-whisker plots illustrating the percentage reduction in total (supervised and independent) procedures performed by trainees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Boxes cover medians and lower interquartile range, whereas the whiskers represent the lower 90th percentile. The mean percentage reduction is indicated by +. ∗.0001 < P < .05, ∗∗P < .0001. UGIB, Upper GI bleeding hemostasis.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Concerns raised by endoscopy trainees attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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